Elevator-overflow control



Aug. 17 1926.

f J. L. KOPF ELEVATOR ovERFLow CONTROL Filed DSC- 3l. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY LlO Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

UNITED vSKFATES ,ParsN-T .or-rice JOSEPH L.,KOIKF, OF EASTv ORANGE, NEWVJERYSEY), .kSSZGNO'R TOVJABEEZ BURNS & SONS,

` ING., OFVNEW YORK,- N. Y., A. OF YORK.

ELEvA'ron-ovnnriow coutrnon.Y

Application filed December 31, 1925. Serial No. 78,536.

` Thisinvention relates to equipment ,for handling materials such as grains, coffee, sugar and the like, wherein material is elevated and discharged to a roaster, grinder or other machine having a determined capacity, and wherein it is desiredto cut off the supply ofrmaterial to vthe machine in case of clogging, breakage or thelike without causing itA to be jammed or .clogged in the equipment, owing to .failurel to stop the elevating mechanism. In experience with equipments handling large volumes of materials, .itis found desirable to have the elevator operate continuously, butv'unless. means is provided for divertingthe materialfrom theintake ofthe grinder, .roaster or the like in .case .of stoppage 4or clogging, an objectionablel accumulation Vof material massesat thetopofthe elevator, spills downthe legs and causes overloading and possibilyrbreakaga 4and in any event is objectionable because ottime required to dislodge theaccmnulation and resume operation;

According to this'invention,means is pro vided forpreventing accumulation of materials Von the intake side of theroaster, grinderorfthe like by dischargingit intoa by-pass Vwhich diverts thematerial before it canrpack,` and this ley-.pass preferably .discharges into .the supply sideof the elevator. The particular featureof the inventionfresides in providingl an automaticgate for the supply which is` normally `opened but .which is automatically closed` upon accumulationV of materialin the byfpa'ss, Vand iwhichy still leaves the bypass opeinto return theexcess material to the supply. Thereby,ftheeleva tor can operate continuously `without any danger of overloading, andas soon'asthe production off the roaster, grinder or ythe like is resumed` material. .which has; vbeen discharging through the by-passV is ,fedA through the machine .andthereby causesthe gateto automatically open .andA permit .resumption of feed to the eleva-torfor the supply. i Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows the side view of this .invention, f f l Fig. 2 is a ,detail .oftheauxiliaryoverflowhopper audits conne ctions`,'

Fig. 3 .is a sectionl on the line #e3a of Fig.,2,

l Fig. a is a section `on `the line ,4a-41 of I'Eg2.

he inmaterial to be ,raised is supplied :te

the. hopper 10, from which it moves by gravity through the passageway 11 tothe receiver l2 on vthe elevator casing 13. The material ows in and lills the lower portion of the casing13 and is then gathered up by the buckets 141- on the conveyor or elevator and carried to some yfloor above'where it is emptied into .i the outlet pipe v15 connected with Ya pipe `16 or receptacle to receive the material and leading into sometreating apparatus 17, vsuch as o-ne or more grinders, ron-sters, bagging machines or other apparatus. In the event that one or more ofthe treatingmachines 17 isstopped or slowed down without correspondingly stopping or slowing. the elevator,l the material 'beingv fed into.- thepipel. tendsv to backup until reachingthecrest 18 when'it overflows down the by-pass pipe or second passage 1.9 to the auX- iliaryv hopper 20 pivoted at 21. The Voveriiow pipe19.is madelarge enough to at all times exceed the .elevator capacity.

- :The-feed elevator shown is ofthe continuouslydriven bucket type, but any other type of feed can-be used wherein it is desired to controlthe supply according to the .consumption,` without cutting off the driving power`.of.fthe feeding device.l y l.When there Vis no overflow of material passing througlrthe pipe 19,7the auxiliary hopper 2O pivoted at121 on arms 2li normally is tilted. up (see F ig. 1) by weights 23. On the entry "of enough material to overbalance weights 23 the hopper `2Oftilts as showuin Fig. 2. Moving with hopper 20 ris a gate '22 for closing the supply passage 11.130 the main supplyvhopper l10 when hopper 2O is filled `with material. Afterrthe overflow has subsided due to increased consumption of the machines, and thewhopper 20 substantially emptied, the weights 23 movethe hopper upward to the position shown inFig; 1, thus raising the gate-22 and opening the passage llbetween the supply hopper l10 and elevator. The hopper is preferably of the general shape illustrated', one side being substantially vertical when no overflow is passing, andthe otherside 25 being inclinedas shown. The outlet26 atthe bottom of the hopper 2O as Vshown lin Fig.v y2; is large enough to allowthe overflow material to pass through at least as rapidly as-the elevator can feed and drop into supply vreceiver 12. From the drawing it willige v seen .that movement vof the hopper 2O to close the gate 22 lowers the outlet 26, giving greater inclination to the bottom of the hopper 2O and facilitating the flow of mate-rial through saidoutlet. VThis also facilitates the flowv capacity bar 2S engages side frame members 27 to serve as a stop in limiting movement of the iopper in the opposite direction. The opening 29 between the receiver 12 and the ele-V vator casing 13 is controlled by a sliding gate 30 operated by the rod 3l connected to the laterally extending bar32 and raised and lowered as desired to control the supply of material in the elevator casing.

Among the advantages of this invention may be mentioned the overcoming of over? flow losses or the danger of clogging any of the distribution pipes through material being supplied faster than it is removed. vWith this invention, itis not necessary to stop or slow down the elevator regardless of the duration of stoppage or period of reduced consumption in one 0rI more of the treating machines. Not only isthe overflow not jammed up, but it is fed baclrto be carried over again by the elevatory and Vsimultaneously the main supply passage ll is closed to prevent an excess of material being fed to the elevator. On cessation of the overflow the weights 23 automatically tilt the auxiliary hopper 2O to its former position and lift the gate 22 to openthe passageway l1 for furthe-r removal of material from ithe hopper l0.

l. rIhe combination with an elevator, of a passageway connected to the lower por` tion thereof, a gate for said passageway, a receptaclesupplied by said elevator, an overflow passageway from said receptacle by-passing the elevator, and automatic means yresponsive to overflow of material for vactuating said gate and permittingv continued overflow through the elevator by-V pass of at least normal elevator capacity.

2. The combination with yan elevator, of a passageway connected to the lower portion thereof, a gate for's'aid passageway, a receptacle supplied by said elevator, an overflow passageway fromsaid receptacle by-passing the elevator, and automatic means responsive to overflow of material for actuating said gate and for facilitating the flow of material throughsaidoverflow passageway to an amount `at least equal to the normalelevator capacity.-

3.*The combination with 'an elevator, of a passageway connected to the lower portion thereof, a gate controlling said passageway, a receptacle supplied by said elevator, an overflow passagewayV from said receptacle by-pas'si'ng said elevator, and meansl insaid passageway responsive to movement of material therethrough for ac tuating said gate, said last-mentioned means being movable to a position permitting continued movement through said overflow pas# sageway of at least an amount of materialy equal to the normal elevator capacity. Il. The combination with an elevator, of a passageway connected to the lower portion thereof, a gate in said passageway, a receptacle supplied by said elevator, an overflow passagewayfrom said receptacle, a hopper in said :passageway movable in repsonse to material therein to facilitate the passage of material through said hopper, and means closingy said gate vin response to movement of the hopper. y

5. The combination with an elevator, of a passageway connected to the lower portion thereof, a gate controlling said passageway,

a receptacle supplied' by the elevator, an overflow passageway from the receptacle, a hopper having an opening in its lower por-v tion and tilting i'nresponse to the weight of material passing therethrough to lower said opening and facilitate the passage of material, and means closing said gate in response to tilting of said hopper. f f

f 6. The combination with an elevator, of a passageway connected to the lower portion thereof, a gate controlling said passageway, a receptacle supplied bysaid elevator, an overflow passageway from said yreceptacle bypassing the elevator, a tilting hopper in saidoverflow passageway, a portion of said overflow passageway supporting said gate from said hopper and means closing said gate in'response to tilting of said hopper.

7. In feed control mechanism, a supply passage, a tilting hopper having a gate controllingy said passage and being itself open forcontinued passage of-materials, means controlling the positionof said hopper and gate according to the accumulation of material therein, and means supplying material to said hopper. i f

8. In a--feed control mechanism, a supply passage, means for supplying material thereto,'normally inoperative means to cut off said passage, a second'passage, means for supplyingfmaterial thereto, a hopper toreceive material supplied by said second pas-` sage, means whereby accumulation of material in said hopper actuates' said cut olf means, and moves said hopper to automatically discharge it, and means for returning said cut off means to normal and inoperative position upon discharge of said hopper.

9. In ,a feed control'mechanism, a supply passage, means4 for supplying material thereto, a normally open gate for closing said passage, a second passage, means for supplying material thereto, a hopper toreceive material supplied by said second passage, means whereby accumulation of material in said hopper closes said gate and moves said hopper to automatically discharge it, and means opening said gate upon discharge of said hopper.

10. The combination with an elevator, of a passageway connected to the lower portion thereof, a gate tor said passageway, a receptacle supplied by said elevator, an overflow passageway from said receptacle by-passing the elevator, automatic means responsive to overflow of material for closing said gate and permitting continued overflow, and means responsive to cessation of overliow Yiter automatically opening said gate.

1l. The combination with an elevator, of a passageway connected to the lower portion thereof, a gate for said passageway, a receptacle supplied by said elevator, an overflow passageway from said receptacle by-passing the elevator, automatic means responsive to overflow ot material for closing said gate and permitting continued overflow of an amount of material at least equal to the normal elevator capacity by-passing said elevater, and automatic means responsive to cessation of overflow for opening said gate.

l2. The combination with an elevator, of a passageway connected to the lower portion thereof, a gate forl said passageway, a receptacle supplied by said elevator, an overflow passageway from said receptacle bypassing the elevator, automatic means responsive to overflow of material for actuating said gate and facilitating the flow of material, and automatic means responsive to cessation of overflow for reducing the capacf ity of said overflow passageway and for actuating said gate.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 18 day oit December A. D. 1925.

JOSEPH L. KOPF. 

